Narrator: TODAY ON "HOW IT'S MADE: DREAM CARS"...
THE AUDI S8, A LUXURY SPORTS CAR
WITH UNDERSTATED LOOKS AND OUTRAGEOUS POWER.
♪♪
-- Captions by VITAC -- www.vitac.com
CAPTIONS PAID FOR BY DISCOVERY COMMUNICATIONS
AUDI MANUFACTURES THE S8 IN NECKARSULM, GERMANY.
CAR MANUFACTURING BEGAN HERE MORE THAN 100 YEARS AGO
WITH A COMPANY CALLED NSU.
NSU MERGED WITH AUDI
AFTER BEING BOUGHT BY THE VOLKSWAGEN GROUP.
AUDI WAS FOUNDED BY AUGUST HORCH IN 1909.
"HORCH" MEANS "LISTEN" IN GERMAN.
THE LATIN TRANSLATION OF "LISTEN" IS "AUDI."
AUDI IS WELL KNOWN FOR ITS WELL-ENGINEERED LUXURY CARS.
THE "S" IN THE AUDI S8 STANDS FOR "SPORT."
THE S8 CAN SMOOTHLY STROLL THROUGH THE TWISTING ROADS
OF NECKARSULM'S CELEBRATED VINEYARDS
OR EASILY OVERTAKE NEARLY EVERY CAR
ON THE OPEN ROAD.
AUDI'S NECKARSULM FACILITY FOCUSES ON REDUCING WEIGHT
IN AUTO CONSTRUCTION.
IT HAS AN IN-HOUSE PRESS SHOP, ALUMINUM-STEEL BODY SHOP,
AND TWO PURE ALUMINUM BODY SHOPS.
HERE, A TECHNICIAN LOADS AN ALUMINUM COMPONENT
INTO A WELDING JIG.
AUDI'S MOTTO IS VORSPRUNG DURCH TECHNIK,
WHICH MEANS "ADVANCEMENT THROUGH TECHNOLOGY."
A PAIR OF ROBOTS SWING INTO ACTION,
WELDING PARTS TO CREATE
THE MULTI-MATERIAL AUDI SPACE FRAME'S FRONT END.
A ROBOT LOWERS THE REAR END OF THE SPACE FRAME INTO PLACE.
A TECHNICIAN LOADS ON EXTRUDED AND FORGED ALUMINUM COMPONENTS,
WHICH WILL CONNECT THE FRONT AND REAR OF THE SPACE FRAME.
THE UNDERBODY MOVES TO THE NEXT STATION,
WHERE WELDING ROBOTS JOIN ALL THE PARTS.
DESPITE THE EXTENSIVE USE OF ROBOTS,
THE NECKARSULM FACILITY STILL RELIES ON OVER 16,000 EMPLOYEES
AS OF 2015.
AUDI'S SPACE-FRAME TECHNOLOGY FEATURES LOAD-CARRYING PROFILES,
STIFFENING SHEETS, AND CAST-JOINING ELEMENTS,
CREATING A HIGH-STRENGTH BUT LIGHTWEIGHT UNDERBODY.
CLAMPS AND VACUUM-POWERED SUCTION CUPS
HOLD THE BODY SIDE PANEL IN PLACE
AS IT MOVES TO THE AVT STRUCTURAL BONDING SYSTEM.
HERE, A ROBOT APPLIES
AN AEROSPACE-GRADE STRUCTURAL ADHESIVE
TO EVERY JOINING SURFACE ON THE PANEL
WITH REMARKABLE PRECISION.
THE S8 PRODUCTION LINE
AT NECKARSULM IS HEAVILY AUTOMATED.
ROBOTIC FIXTURES BRING THE TWO BODY SIDE PANELS
TO THE FRAME SIMULTANEOUSLY.
THEN ANOTHER TEAM OF ROBOTS
SPOT-WELD THE PANELS TO THE UNDERBODY.
THIS BODY IN WHITE IS NEARLY COMPLETE.
WHEN FINISHED IT WILL HAVE AN UNLADEN WEIGHT
JUST UNDER 4,400 POUNDS.
AUDI PLACES GREAT IMPORTANCE ON LIGHTWEIGHT CONSTRUCTION.
THROUGHOUT THE ASSEMBLY PROCESS,
LASER ALIGNMENT RIGS
CHECK FOR ANY DEVIATIONS FROM THE DESIGN PARAMETERS.
THE COMPLETED BODY IN WHITE HAS 320 FEET
OF WELDING SEAMS, 782 RIVETS,
AND 308 SELF-TAPPING SCREWS.
IT'S COMPOSED OF 70% ALUMINUM EXTRUSIONS,
8% VACUUM-CAST NODES,
AND 22% SHEET-ALUMINUM PANELS,
RESULTING IN A STRUCTURE OF MINIMAL WEIGHT
BUT MAXIMUM STABILITY.
THE PAINT SHOP APPLIES FIVE COATS OF FINISH
TO THE BODY IN WHITE.
EACH COAT IS 120 MICRONS DEEP,
NO THICKER THAN A HUMAN HAIR.
NOZZLES SPRAY PAINT WITH AN ELECTROSTATIC CHARGE.
THE CHARGE CAUSES THEM TO REPEL EACH OTHER,
RESULTING IN OPTIMAL DISTRIBUTION ACROSS THE SURFACE.
HOWEVER, A STRONG BOND
IS CREATED BETWEEN THE GROUNDED CAR BODY
AND THE CHARGED PAINT PARTICLES.
THIS FINISHED S8 BODY
IS READY TO JOIN ITS CHASSIS AND POWERTRAIN.
Narrator: DESPITE THE UNDERSTATED LOOK OF THE AUDI S8,
UNDERNEATH THE HOOD IS SHEER BRUTE POWER.
TO ENSURE EACH S8 ENGINE MEASURES UP
TO THE RIGOROUS DEMANDS
OF AUDI'S ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT,
QUALITY-CONTROL EXPERTS RUN A VARIETY OF TESTS.
THE ENGINE FOR THE S8 IS AUDI'S 4-LITER TFSI POWER PLANT.
TFSI STANDS FOR TURBO FUEL STRATIFIED INJECTION.
THAT MEANS FUEL IS PRESSURE-INJECTED DIRECTLY
INTO THE COMBUSTION CHAMBER.
THE RESULT IS A POWERFUL YET EFFICIENT ENGINE.
THE ENGINE FEATURES CYLINDER-ON-DEMAND TECHNOLOGY.
WHICH MEANS FOUR OF ITS CYLINDERS
DEACTIVATE AT NORMAL SPEED, CONSERVING FUEL.
A TECHNICIAN JOINS THE TRANSMISSION TO THE ENGINE
AND BOLTS IT IN PLACE.
THE TRANSMISSION IS AN EIGHT-SPEED TIPTRONIC
WITH DSP AND SPORT PROGRAM.
THE TIPTRONIC FEATURES
A HYDRAULIC TORQUE CONVERTER LOCK-UP CLUTCH.
A SECOND TECHNICIAN MOUNTS
THE AIR-CONDITIONING COMPRESSOR SYSTEM.
THE DRIVETRAIN THEN MOVES ON TO THE NEXT PHASE.
AN OVERHEAD CRANE SYSTEM ALIGNS ITSELF WITH THE UNDERBODY
AND CAREFULLY LOWERS THE ENGINE.
TECHNICIANS THEN USE SPECIALIZED ZERO-GRAVITY DRIVERS
WITH PREPROGRAMMED TORQUE SPECIFICATIONS
TO SECURELY BOLT THE COMPONENTS TOGETHER.
THE S8 ENGINE HAS AN INNOVATIVE COMPACT LAYOUT
WITH EXTENSIVE INSULATION AND MINIMAL FRICTIONAL LOSSES.
THIS IMPROVES THERMODYNAMIC PERFORMANCE.
THE ENGINE, TRANSMISSION,
AND UNDERBODY LOWER ONTO AN ASSEMBLY POUND.
TECHNICIANS INSTALL THE CATALYTIC CONVERTER
BEFORE MOUNTING THE SUSPENSION.
THE S8 COMES WITH FIVE-LINK FRONT SUSPENSION,
UPPER AND LOWER WISHBONES,
TUBULAR ANTI-ROLL BAR, AND AIR SUSPENSION.
THE REAR FEATURES TRAPEZOIDAL-LINK SUSPENSION
WITH WISHBONES,
TUBULAR ANTI-ROLL BAR, AND AIR SUSPENSION.
THESE ELEMENTS CONTRIBUTE TO THE CAR'S SMOOTH RIDE,
WHICH IS SUSTAINED THROUGH A SYSTEM
CALLED ACTIVE ENGINE MOUNTS.
ACTIVE ENGINE MOUNTS USE
AN ELECTROMAGNETIC OSCILLATING COIL ACTUATOR
TO TRANSMIT A RAPID STROKE TO HYDRAULIC FLUID
IN THE MOUNTING.
THE PROCESS GENERATES
OUT-OF-PHASE COUNTER OSCILLATIONS
WHICH CANCEL OUT THE ENGINE'S VIBRATIONS.
NEXT, A TEAM MEMBER MOUNTS THE CAR'S DISC BRAKES.
THE S8 IS EQUIPPED WITH BOTH FRONT
AND REAR DISC BRAKES,
WHICH FORM PART OF THE DUAL-CIRCUIT BRAKE SYSTEM.
THE PAIR OF TECHNICIANS LOWER THE FRONT AXLE INTO PLACE
ALONG WITH THE ENGINE AND TRANSMISSION.
THEN THEY INSTALL THE EXHAUST SYSTEM.
THE SYSTEM'S TWO CLOSE-COUPLED CERAMIC CATALYTIC CONVERTERS
ARE EACH EQUIPPED WITH TWO OXYGEN SENSORS
TO MONITOR THE CAR'S EMISSIONS PERFORMANCE.
WITH INSTALLATION COMPLETE,
THE UNDERBODY HEADS OFF TO THE NEXT STATION.
AN OVERHEAD CRANE LOWERS THE REAL-AXLE SUBASSEMBLY
INTO PLACE.
THE SUBASSEMBLY INCLUDES THE SPORT DIFFERENTIAL
FOR AUDI'S FOUR-WHEEL-DRIVE SYSTEM KNOWN AS QUATRO.
NEXT, THE TECHNICIAN INSTALLS THE DRIVESHAFT.
THIS CHANNELS POWER FROM THE ENGINE
TO THE REAR WHEELS
USING AUDI'S SPECIALIZED SPORT DIFFERENTIAL.
IT VARIES THE TORQUE BETWEEN THE REAR WHEELS
ACCORDING TO THE DRIVING CONDITIONS.
THE TECHNICIAN FINISHES THE RUNDOWN OF THE BOLTS
WITH A TORQUE-CONTROLLED DRIVER
SUPPORTED BY A LIFT-ASSIST SYSTEM.
WITH THE ENGINE, TRANSMISSION, AND DRIVESHAFT IN PLACE,
ASSEMBLY OF THE UNDERBODY IS NEARLY COMPLETE.
A TECHNICIAN USES A LIFT-ASSIST
TO INSTALL THE S8's DOUBLE-CHAMBERED FUEL TANK
UNDERNEATH THE REAR PASSENGER SEATS.
Narrator: TEAM MEMBERS ARE READY TO ASSEMBLE
THE AUDI S8'S OPULENT INTERIOR.
TECHNICIANS INSTALL A WIRING HARNESS INSIDE THE CAR.
THE HARNESS IS COMPLEX, WITH NUMEROUS CONNECTIONS.
THAT'S NO SURPRISE, CONSIDERING THE S8 IS EQUIPPED
WITH AN EXTENSIVE TECHNOLOGY PACKAGE
WHICH INCLUDES PARKING SENSORS, A TOP-VIEW CAMERA,
ELECTRONIC VEHICLE IMMOBILIZATION DEVICE
WITH ALARM SYSTEM AND BACKUP HORN,
ELECTRICALLY FOLDING EXTERIOR MIRRORS,
ELECTRIC TILT AND TELESCOPIC STEERING WHEEL ADJUSTMENTS,
HEATED LEATHER STEERING WHEEL,
A TIRE-PRESSURE MONITORING SYSTEM,
FOUR-ZONE AUTOMATIC AIR-CONDITIONING,
AND POWER-ASSISTED DOOR CLOSURE.
ONCE THE WIRING HARNESS IS INSTALLED,
TEAM MEMBERS BRING IN THE DASHBOARD.
A TECHNICIAN INSTALLS THE STEERING COLUMN
WITH EXTREME CARE AND PRECISION.
THE S8's INTERIOR PANELING COMES NEXT.
IT CAN BE CUSTOMIZED TO INCLUDE LEATHER, WOOD, ALUMINUM,
AND CARBON-FIBER ELEMENTS.
THE DELUXE SPORT 22-WAY POWER FRONT SEATS
HAVE A MEMORY SYSTEM.
THERE IS NO NEED TO FINE-TUNE THEM
EVERY TIME YOU CHANGE OCCUPANTS.
THEY ALSO COME WITH MASSAGE AND HEATING FUNCTIONS.
THIS S8 IS READY TO RECEIVE ITS FAMED AUDI LOGO,
WHICH SYMBOLIZES THE 1932 MERGER OF FOUR GERMAN CAR COMPANIES...
AUDI, DKW, WANDERER, AND HORCH.
A TECHNICIAN INSTALLS
A THREE-SPOKE MULTI-FUNCTION HEATED LEATHER STEERING WHEEL
WITH SHIFT PADDLES.
THE AUDI BADGE MODULE ALSO CONTAINS THE DRIVER-SIDE AIRBAG.
THE S8 CAN BE ORDERED WITH AUTOMATIC SOFT-CLOSE DOORS,
MEANING THAT EVEN IF YOU'RE LOADED DOWN WITH GROCERIES
AND CAN'T SWING THE DOOR COMPLETELY SHUT,
THE CAR WILL FINISH THE JOB FOR YOU.
THIS AUDI S8 CAR BODY IS COMPLETELY ASSEMBLED
AND READY TO MEET ITS DRIVETRAIN.
THE JOINING OF THE BODY
WITH THE CHASSIS IS A FULLY AUTOMATED PROCESS.
THE PALLET TRANSPORTING THE CHASSIS
ALIGNS ITSELF UNDER THE BODY PERFECTLY.
AS THE PALLET RAISES THE CHASSIS AND THE POWERTRAIN
INTO THE BODY, TECHNICIANS MONITOR THE PROCESS CLOSELY.
TEAM MEMBERS USE A SPECIALIZED LIFT-ASSIST FIXTURE
TO INSTALL THE CAR'S COOLING SYSTEM.
AUDI S8 RADIATORS COME FROM MODI, A COMPANY
THAT HAS SPECIALIZED IN HEAT-TRANSFER SYSTEMS
SINCE 1916.
THE S8's TALL RECTANGULAR GRILLE
IS SO EMBLEMATIC OF THE AUDI LOOK
YOU ALMOST DON'T EVEN THE NEED
THE FOUR-RING SYMBOL TO IDENTIFY THE CAR'S MAKER.
A TECHNICIAN USES A SPECIALIZED DOLLY SYSTEM
TO BRING THE RIGHT FRONT WHEEL TO THE CAR.
HE THREADS THE LUG NUTS ON WITH THE HELP OF A GUIDE.
USING AN AUTOMATED DRIVER, HE TIGHTENS ALL FIVE LUGS
TO THE PRECISE TORQUE.
WITH ALL FOUR WHEELS MOUNTED, THIS S8 IS ALMOST COMPLETE.
ONLY ONE FINAL STEP REMAINS.
A TEAM MEMBER SNAPS THE ENGINE COVER INTO PLACE.
THIS CAR IS READY TO LEAVE THE ASSEMBLY LINE
AND GO TO DYNAMIC TESTING.
ON A ROLLING ROAD,
HE PUTS THE S8 THROUGH IT'S PACES.
HE REVS IT UP AS THE DIGITAL PROGRAM CHECKS
TO MAKE SURE IT MEETS EVERY PERFORMANCE PARAMETER.
A STRIP OF ROUGHLY COBBLESTONED CIRCLES
LINE THE INNER CIRCUMFERENCE OF THE AUDI TEST TRACK.
DRIVING THE S8 OVER THIS SURFACE
ALLOWS THE DRIVER TO NOTE ANY SQUEAKS OR RATTLES
THAT MIGHT NEED TO BE CORRECTED.
IT'S TIME TO HIT THE THROTTLE
AND SEE WHAT THIS SUPERCAR CAN DO AT SPEED.
Narrator: THIS S8 HAS MET EVERY PERFORMANCE PARAMETER.
BUT WHEN THIS MUCH TIME AND EFFORT
IS PUT INTO A VEHICLE,
TECHNICIANS STILL DOUBLE-CHECK TO ENSURE IT'S PERFECT
BEFORE SHIPPING IT OFF.
AS PART OF AUDI'S MULTI-STEP QUALITY-CONTROL PROGRAM,
A SPECIALIST INSPECTS EVERY ASPECT OF THE CAR.
HE USES A GAP GAUGE TO ENSURE THAT THE SPACES BETWEEN PANELS
MEET A PRESET STANDARD.
THE PAINT JOB MUST BE FLAWLESS.
A SPRAY BOTTLE AND CLOTH
HELP HIM IDENTIFY EVEN THE MOST MINUTE BLEMISHES
IN THE SURFACE.
BUT, OF COURSE, THE EXTERIOR OF THE S8 IS ONLY ONE ASPECT
OF THE CAR.
FOR THE SUMPTUOUS INTERIOR,
WOOD PANELING IS ONE OF THE MANY CUSTOMER OPTIONS AVAILABLE.
BUYERS CAN CHOOSE FROM A WIDE RANGE
OF OPTIONS FOR THE PAINT JOB.
IF THEY DON'T FIND WHAT THEY'RE LOOKING FOR,
AUDI CAN MATCH THE COLOR OF A FAVORITE ITEM
OF CLOTHING, FURNITURE, OR JEWELRY.
FOR THE INTERIOR UPHOLSTERY OF THE S8,
AUDI PROVIDES AN ARRAY OF LEATHER FINISHES AND COLORS.
THE S8 COMES STANDARD WITH COMFORT SPORTS SEATS.
A QUILTED LEATHER UPHOLSTERY DEMONSTRATES AUDI'S COMMITMENT
TO OLD-SCHOOL CRAFTSMANSHIP.
UNDERNEATH THAT CRAFTSMANSHIP IS A HIGH-TECH COLLECTION
OF SEATING TECHNOLOGY.
BESIDES ELECTRIC LUMBAR SUPPORT,
THE SEATS FEATURE AN UPPER- BACKREST ADJUSTMENT FUNCTION,
WHICH ALLOWS PASSENGERS TO ANGLE THE TOP THIRD OF THE BACKREST.
EVEN THOUGH THE S8 WAS DEVELOPED BY AUDI'S PERFORMANCE DIVISION,
THE INTERIOR OF THE CAR IS ALL LUXURY.
SOUNDPROOFING AND NOISE-REDUCTION TECHNOLOGY
MAKE THE RIDE QUIET EVEN WHEN CRUISING DOWN THE HIGHWAY.
THE CABIN IS OPULENT BUT PRACTICAL.
SCREENS MOUNTED ON THE BACKS OF THE FRONT SEATS
HELP PASS THE TIME ON LONG TRIPS.
AUDI'S NECKARSULM FACILITY ISN'T JUST A FACTORY,
IT'S ALSO THE SITE OF AN AUDI FORUM
WHERE THE COMPANY DISPLAYS ITS PRODUCTS.
OF COURSE THE S8 IS PROMINENTLY DISPLAYED.
THE CAR'S SHAPE AND UNDERSTATED LOOKS
GIVE LITTLE SIGN OF THE POWER
THAT LIES BENEATH THE HOOD.
BUT THERE ARE SMALL DETAILS HERE AND THERE
THAT HINT AT ITS POWER AND PERFORMANCE.
IN THE EVENING, THE AUDI FORUM IN NECKARSULM
TRANSFORMS INTO A STAGE
FOR ALL KINDS OF CULTURAL EVENTS,
FROM POP CONCERTS TO LITERARY READINGS.
BUT DURING THE DAY,
IT'S WHERE CUSTOMERS CAN SEE THEIR NEW CAR
FOR THE FIRST TIME.
THE S8 IS BASED ON AUDI'S LEGENDARY A8,
CONSIDERED BY SOME
TO BE THE ULTIMATE GERMAN LUXURY SEDAN.
EVERY DETAIL OF THE S8'S INTERIOR
IS EMBLEMATIC OF THE OPULENT A8.
BUT WHEN MULTIPLE DRIVE MODES APPEAR ON THE DISPLAY,
ALLOWING DRIVERS TO CUSTOMIZE THEIR EXPERIENCE,
IT BECOMES CLEAR THAT THIS CAR CAN GENERATE POWER
AT A HIGHER LEVEL.
THERE IS ONLY ONE WAY TO REALLY SEE
WHAT THIS CAR CAN DO...
TAKE IT OUT ON THE OPEN ROAD.
THE SHAPE OF THE MATRIX L.E.D. HEADLIGHTS
AND THE BRUSHED-ALUMINUM EXTERIOR MIRROR HOUSINGS
SET THE S8 APART.
BUT IT'S THE TURBO FUEL-INJECTED 4-LITER V-8 UNDER THE HOOD
THAT TRULY DISTINGUISHES THE S8 FROM ITS COMPETITION.
THE ENGINE IS THE HIDDEN MUSCLE
THAT REVS THIS SERENE AND OPULENT-LOOKING SEDAN
TO FEROCIOUS SPEEDS.
THE TFSI POWER PLANT CRANKS OUT 520 HORSEPOWER AT 5,800 RPMS,
WITH A MAXIMUM TORQUE OF ABOUT 550 FOOT-POUNDS
BETWEEN 1,700 AND 5,500 RPMS.
THE S8 GOES FROM ZERO TO 60 IN JUST 4.1 SECONDS,
WITH A TOP SPEED OF 155 MILES PER HOUR.
THE S8 CAN OUTMATCH MOST HIGH-PERFORMANCE CARS
ON THE OPEN ROAD
WHILE ITS PASSENGERS SIT BACK IN PLUSH COMFORT
AND QUIET STYLE.